The baker 's son: hunger games
by ilovewritingandwritingonly
Summary: We all know about katniss everdeen and her thoughts and emotions during the capitol's hunger games! but we have been given only a very brief idea about what peeta mellark feels ! So here is the story of the boy with the bread during the 74 th annual hunger games!
1. Chapter 1

Hello fellow authors and my dear readers I am new on fanfiction! This is my first story so please read and leave a review ! all sorts of critical appreciation in welcome! So r and r!

Prologue

I was running for my life with the trackjer jackers at my trail. They had already stung me though. I could hear someone in our group cry , " head towards the lake" . it was probably cato. I ran fast . I cut through branches and tripped over my own feet many times. I was in pain . my vision was swimming . somewhere in my incoherent thoughts a name caught my attention . it was the name of the person I wanted to protect . "KATNISS" . I finally felt myself half soaked in water with clove pulling me underwater. "the tracker jackers will hunt us down, so underwater now lover boy!" I thought that I had forgotten about someone or something important again. But cato s current outburst reminded me of her again . "KATNISS'' . I kept on repeating her name like a mantra to keep myself sane . I had sworn that I would protect her . Cato swore angrily , " I am going after her she cant be far. Come on clove ,marvel , peeta" but the other two passed out.i had to save her so I ran behind cato as he went to the sight of massacre where we had lost glimmer. My incoherent mind hastily put together a plan . I forgot my pain and ran ahead of cato hoping that he would not smell a rat too soon . my love for her was more than my love for my own life. I felt happy that I would die protecting her. my thoughts were fading fast and my heart was thudding , I ran as fast as possible and stopped as soon as I saw her. She was wrestling the bow out of glimmer s hand . my rising hysteria numbed my fear of a cruel death by cato's hand .my love for her overpowered all other thoughts. She has to survive and go home to prim. I will keep on protecting her until I die. With all my thoughts in place , I used my remaining strength and I warned her and said " run katniss , go! " she looked at me with a dazed expression . this confused me more and I pushed her towards the forest . but cato burst into the clearing and became aware of my betrayal as he saw me push her into the forest. I tried to hit him with my spear. But my fading strength and poor vision thwarted my attempts . he tossed aside my spear with a flick of his sword and cut me on my upper thigh and ran back to the career camp leaving me writhing in agony. I gathered the last of my strength and walked collecting leaves and branches. I covered myself with the leaves hoping that hey would disguise me . the last of my strength gave away as I fell into a soft bed of mud and lost myself in the land of dreams and dreamt of the day when all of this began…..

Flash back

As the sunlight flitted through the window of his house , peeta mellark awoke. His mother said " get down here fast ! Look at your brothers! They are so hardworking and devoted towards our bakery unlike you! Get down to work you waste of space!" .. When he was a little boy, his mothers behaviour would astound him. He would desperately wonder and ask himself "why does my mother hate me so much? Why she doesn't love me? And why am I so unfortunate?''. But now he was used to his mother s banter and never took it to heart. He replied " coming down mother".

As he pulled the bread out of the oven, he heard their shop bell ring. He decided to go greet their first customer for the day. He went to the shop's window and came face to face with Gale Hawthorne. He had always wondered about his relationship with Katniss everdeen, his childhood secret love .peeta had never gathered his courage to ever talk to her. He would sit and wonder about her. He would see her in school as she would pass by him silently or when she would come to his shop to trade. He knew her very well. She appeared hard – hearted . but as they say a hard nut has a soft inner, her heart was a mountain of gold for her little sister, prim. Seeing gale, he would always wonder whether she would ever notice him or not. He knew he had no chances with her with gale around . Gale would come to the bakery at the crack of dawn to trade some fresh game he ' d caught for some bread . so quenching his insecurities , peeta greeted him and called his father. His father gave gale a loaf of bread for the squirrel. This trade was done behind his mother's back as she could not tolerate " the seam brats.' Mr mellark looked at gale and wished him luck.

Today everyone would need some luck on their side as it was the reaping day for the hunger games. The odds were in nobody's favour. These games were held every year to honour the capitol's victory over the districts at the end of the rebellion of the dark ages. District 12 was the meanest of all districts where one could starve to death . It only had two victors out of which only one was alive

He heard the sirens as the peacekeepers approached and prepared the justice building .there was a gloom over the justice building . Peeta had a feeling that something earth-shattering was going to happen to him . He ignored the gut wrenching feeling and decided to don his best clothes for the reaping where twenty four children , two from each district , one girl and one boy would fight to death in a pageant known as " the hunger games"

a/n : the flashback will continue till we get to that scene! So be prepared for peetas journey!


	2. Chapter 2 - the reaping

a/n: ur chapter 2 is up!

Chapter 2

The reaping

On this doomsday, the mellark family headed out towards the town square secure in the knowledge that none of their children would be chosen for the games as they had only 5 to 6 slips having their names in the reaping bowl. But unfortunately for them fate had different plans. The town square was decorated with the banners carrying the capitol's emblem and giant screens . peacekeepers marched around with their guns hoisted on their shoulders. The reporters craned their necks and their cameras capturing the preparations . to any outsider all this would be intimidating ! but the preparations perplexed all the citizens of distict 12 . one could sense tension in the air!

All the children were standing in clusters according to their ages. I was standing with some of my friends from the town . in the vast sea of children , I searched for katniss hoping that she would never get reaped. I prayed hard.

Effie trinket our effervescent escort did not let such such thoughts disturb her. Afterall, she was a capitol citizen! Why would people in the shiny capitol understand the misery of our sooty district! They were protected and well fed! Their children had a soft life living in the lap of luxury while our children died in these games for their entertainment. I tried to quench my raging anger at the capitol. The hunger games signified death and misery for our districts. But for them it was entertainment. It was a way to ensure that the districts would never be free again. We were nothing but the capitol's puppets. Our escort welcomed all . the anthem played and effie nodded in respect . she spoke of the dark ages and treaty of treason . I had heard the speech many times and tuned out. She then finished with her signature line " happy hunger games and may the odds be ever in their favour" . I thought, ' the odds will never be in our favour!"

She then said "ladies first" and drew a name out. She read out aloud " primrose everdeen" and all the hell broke loose. Prim nervously sauntered to the stage but was followed by a screaming katniss. they had chosen a twelve year old innocent girl. She would never make it back home. She was yet at the beginning of her life. She was like a little bird yet to fly and see the world's cruelty. She didn't deserve such a death . no one did.

Katniss was blocked by the peacekeepers . she couldn't reach her little sister. Her love for her sister was immense and it won over her fear of facing imminent death in the arena . she volunteered.

She was district twelve's first volunteer ever. I was beyond shocked. I saw her as she pushed prim towards gale and made her way to the stage. This would be the last time I would ever see her. i was going to lose the love of my life to the games. we all saluted her by raising two of our fingers to our lips and turning them in her direction. It was our own form of silent rebellion against the capitol's cruelty. It signified our final goodbyes to someone dear . we did not applaud but we rebelled. Haymitch decided to take everyone's attention and in a drunken fit staggered onto the stage and threw his arms around katniss and taunted the capitol by saying , "she 's got spunk and u haven't got any!'' . the air was thick with tension. Effie trinket snatched the mike from haymitch and decided "to get the ball rolling". I hated the capitol and their hunger games. I did not want to be a puppet in their hands . I wanted to break free. I again looked at katniss . I felt my heart break into two at the thought of losing her. I was so lost in my thoughts that I did not hear effie say "peeta mellark".


	3. Chapter 3- the final farewell

a/n : hey guys please leave a review! It will encourage me a great deal!

Chapter 3

The final farewell

I was so lost that I did not hear effie say " peeta mellark". My world came into focus when I was nudged hard and pushed. I felt everyone looking at me. Why are they all staring at me? I again heard effie say " mr mellark , please come up!"

The news finally sunk in . I had been reaped! I then saw peacekeepers approaching me. I put on a stoic expression and headed towards the stage with long strides. No one will volunteer for me as being a tribute one is as good as dead. Family affections only go as far as the games. but what katniss did was an exception. There would be no coming back home. I knew that deep inside my heart . the only person coming home will be katniss. I will try saving her till my last breath. I take a last look at district 12 , my home. I am instructed to shake hands with katniss. I give her hand a reassuring squeeze . we are then ushered into the dark justice building for our final goodbyes. The peacekeepers led me in a room opposite to her's . The room was dark , sad and gloomy . it was in perfect matching with my mood . I sank down into the sofa and sat there waiting for my family and friends. My 1 st visitor was delly cartwright , one of my close childhood friends. She held my hands in hers and whispered in my ears " keep her safe and if u can't try to make it home please ." she knew all about my feelings for katniss. She knew that I would not be coming home and my death was imminent in the arena. She choked back her cries but I let my tears flow. This would be my final goodbye to her. she was so upset that she placed a kiss on my cheek and ran out . she was followed by my two brothers. Both of them had tears flowing down their faces. My eldest brother pressed something in my hand . I opened my palm and saw that it was my favourite treat, the mellark's special blueberry muffin. "something to remember us by ", was the only thing he muttered . both of them embraced me and rushed out. My final pair of visitors were my parents. My father hugged me and I felt large tears stain my shirt. He looked at me and gravely said , " try to make it home peeta. Remember that we will always love you and support you. Don't lose hope ." but my mother said something that nearly crushed him. " district 12 will finally have a winner " . but its obviously not this boy . that girl is a survivor , she is. Saying those heart wrenching words, she strode out. Her last words to me crushed my heart . my own mother had no faith in me. But her harsh words reminded me of my purpose in the arena . I was going there to make sure that katniss would make it back home. I loved her and would lay down his life for her . A peacekeeper came in and told us that our time for bidding each other was up. My father got up and again hugged me. But repeated his words ,"don't lose hope son . I have a feeling that you will come back to us and don't take your mother's words to heart. " I looked at his father for the final time and gave him a teary smile. I thought ,

"sorry dad , I wont be making it home , my mother is right. I am going there to achieve a purpose and I am going to ensure that our district will have a winner finally and it will be katniss everdeen and not me."


	4. Chapter 4 - my journey to the capitol 1

A/N : CHAPTER 4 IS UP! ENJOY AND DON'T FORGET TO R AND R !

A loud shout out to my first three reviewers linn , penguincullen06 and pianolegend24!

Chapter is dedicated to them!

Chapter 4

The journey to the city of my doom- part 1

The second my parents left the room , I was taken by the peacekeepers and deposited into a car that would drive us to the station . I was sitting beside our bubbly escort and my lady love, katniss. She almost appeared bored. Her face was devoid of any emotion and her gray coloured eyes had a grim determination shining in them. But me, I was a crying mess. There were tear stains covering my face highlighting the fact that I will be a very easy kill. I try to get my thoughts in order by thinking of my sole purpose in my now short life. Effie ushered us into the train. The train was of the finest models and went in great speed. We would be at the capitol by the next day. As I entered the vehicle that would escort me to my approaching gloom, I turned around quickly taking a last look at the people , my district and the forest that sped by me as the train left the station. We were escorted to the diner in the train. It had all sorts of mouth-watering dishes . there was enough food to feed the entire district. I was sitting beside katniss . she was looking into the distance. She was probably missing our district like me. I thought of the green forests with their tall trees giving us shade ,the sooty reek of our district that would invade my nostrils at the crack of dawn, the chiming of our shop bell, the sweet song of the birds and most importantly , my hobby of painting. I would never get to touch my paint brush again. It was the only way that that would help me to express myself and to escape reality. My talent helped me to capture my feelings and beauty of nature perfectly. This talent took root when I started frosting cakes and cookies and this daily activity developed my talent helping me to splash colour on the canvas. But all of my dreams , aspirations and feelings paled in comparison to my love for katniss. I would give all of this up to get katniss home. I was jolted out of my thoughts when I heard effie's bubbly voice pervade the air. Effie said , " help yourselves to the food, there is plenty of it . I ' ll just send your mentor, haymitch to you". She twirls her way out of the diner to find haymitch. i decide to loudly voice my thoughts hoping to atleast get a smile out of her, " haymitch , he is probably drunk , she will never find him sober , poor effie!"

She cracks a smile and says " he drinks not occasionally but everyday . it will be fun watching them together." An annoyed looking Haymitch enters the room and the frown on his face worsens when he looks at us, " has anyone seen the wine?" he then spots his drink and exclaims , " the only thing that helps me deal with that annoying woman is my wine." He is about to go when suddenly I find myself asking haymitch ," aren't you going to give us some advice?'' he gives me a look of utter disgust and I find myself squirming under his glare. He then sits down on the couch across us and says , " here is some advice , stay alive!" He then burst out laughing. His behaviour angers me greatly. He is telling us to give up and accept our death. I am about to explode at him but a sudden thought hits me. I think to myself that this man could be of some use to me and my plan of getting katniss home . I decide to confide in him my feelings for katniss and pray to God that he helps me.

Before I can say something more, he gets up ready to go . he suddenly vomits and falls down in the mess. I and katniss help him to his feet. I decide be an early bird and snatch my opportunity . I tell her that I will take him to his room and help him . I turn down her offer of helping me as I have to be alone with him. So I take him to his room on the east wing of the train as per his instructions. I put him down on his bed and look at him in the eye. Mustering all my powers of persuasion, I start telling him about my plans. I tell him, " I want to ask a small favour of you". He gives me a curious look and tells me to continue . I tell him about my love for katniss and my willingness to die for her. I tell him that I want to save her from a death in the arena. i tell him about how much of a survivor she is and how she keeps her family fed by hunting . I give him information about her proficiency with a bow and arrow . after confiding in this man my inner most feelings, I look at him in the eye. He gives me a look of understanding and he mutters four words that brighten up my mood , " I will help you."

I walk out of his door secure in the knowledge that we will bring katniss home . Our deal is sealed.


End file.
